The surprising original names of famous bands
Would The Beatles have been as big as they were if they remained “The Quarrymen”? How about if Van Halen didn’t change their name from “Rat Salad”? Thankfully, we’ll never have to know what a Rat Salad concert would be like, but you may be surprised to learn how many of the world’s biggest bands came close to sticking with their original (and much worse) names.
Queen was once “Smile”
Could you imagine Freddie Mercury fronting a band called “Smile”? Neither could we. Fortunately, the band saw sense. “The concept of Queen is to be regal and majestic,” Mercury told Circus. “Glamour is a part of us and we want to be dandy. We want to shock and be outrageous.”
Simon and Garfunkel were once “Tom and Jerry”
We don’t blame you if the image of a cat and mouse suddenly spring to mind. They changed the name after deciding to stay true to their roots. “I always felt it was a big shock to people when Bob Dylan turned out to be Bobby Zimmerman. It was important that he should be true,” Simon said.
The Beach Boys were once “The Pendeltons”
Brian Wilson originally named the band after their favourite woollen plaid shirts. Wilson was never thrilled with the change, suggesting they shorten their new name to simply “Beach”, but none of the other members went for it, believing they’d always be The Beach Boys. Can’t argue with that!
Kiss was once “Wicked Lester”
The crazy glam-rock band founded by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley originally started a band under the name Wicked Lester. When they gained drummer Peter Criss and told him of their idea to become Kiss, he said “That's a terrible pansy name.” He later changed his mind, saying the name was “sexual, it's cool.”
Pink Floyd were once “Screaming Abdabs”
Named after an old-fashioned British slang term similar to “heebie-jeebies”, the band also performed early on under the name “Tea Set”. They finally opted for Pink Floyd, as a tribute to two blues artists Pink Anderson and Floyd Council.
Black Sabbath were once “The Polka Tulk Blues Band”
Today they’re known as the fathers of heavy metal, but back in the day, Ozzy Osbourne’s band first united in the late ‘60s playing blues rock. It turns out, they weren’t the only ones who went by this name in the UK, and decided to change to Black Sabbath after the Boris Karloff film of the same name.
Which of these bands is your favourite? Tell us why in the comments below!
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